The present invention relates to a multiple gang-type fishhook, the configuration of which has the characteristics of being weedless, having a minimum cross-sectional area in the direction of retrieve, and a minimum length for presentation of all fishhooks.
It is a well known fact that fish seek the protection of cover such as weeds, brush, or sunken trees, and that fishing in, or close to these protective areas produces better catches than fishing in open areas. However, fishing with conventional fishhooks results in snagging the weeds or brush. When using conventional weedless type fishhooks the weed protective devices cause the fish to miss being snagged in the mouth by the point of the fishhook. For example, in the case of a single weedless fishhook made weedless by a protective wire or wires positioned above the point, the wire itself is a physical obstacle to the mechanics of snagging the fish, and the plane of the fishhook must be in the near vertical position relative to the open-and-close motion of the fish's mouth.
This disadvantage can be somewhat overcome by the use of a treble fishhook having each of its points protected by wires extending above the points. However, the cross-sectional area of a treble fishhook with protective wires is large and the wires still act as an obstacle to the snagging action.
Fishhook assemblies made weedless by nature of their geometry present an opportunity for improvement and a number of designs have been presented in the past. However, in each of the previous inventions there are shortcomings which have prevented the wide acceptance of the use. For example, in the case of a multiple fishhook assembly having its weedless characteristics by nature of two fishhooks being positioned in the same plane, but facing in opposite directions so their respective points are protected, the fish must close its mouth at a near right angle to the plane of the fishhook assembly to become snagged. This disadvantage is somewhat overcome by positioning a second shorter pair of fishhooks at right angles to the first pair. Examples of these configuration are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,124,263 and 3,727,340. However, the second direction of movement is added at the expense of a second pair of fishhooks which are of a different size than the first pair. Furthermore, the second pair of fishhooks are hidden behind the first pair, adding length to the fishhook assembly and decreasing the effectiveness of snagging a fish.
An example of a weedless multiple fishhook assembly where the fishhooks are not paired, but randomly placed, is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,151. In this weedless fishhook assembly the point of each fishhook is placed in a general inward position to gain its weedless characteristics. The assembly has the disadvantages of requiring each fishhook to be a different size, and requiring hand assembly to avoid interference with each moving fishhook. Also, the different lengths of each fishhook adds to the overall length of the assembly.